Druva can back up virtual machines created in VMware Cloud on AWS (VMC) Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) similar to the on-premise vSphere-based data center.
The backed-up virtual machines can be restored to:
Same VMware Cloud SDDC from where they were backed up.
Different Public Cloud SDDC than the one it was backed up on.
Any on-premise VMware data center.
Similarly, virtual machines backed up from an on-premise data center can be restored to a VMware Cloud SDDC.
Druva protects VMware Cloud on both AWS and Dell EMC.
Capabilities
Druva offers the following capabilities with the VMC integration:
Druva integrates with AWS PrivateLink to ensure that the data path from your VMC to the Druva Cloud is secure.
Uses native VMware API to back up and restore data.
Leverages VMware CBT to track incremental changes.
Offers file-level recovery to a virtual machine.
Leverages hot add transport mode for backups.
Enables configuration of virtual machines based on tags, datastores, clusters, and automated policy.
Automated disaster recovery in AWS with orchestration and failback capabilities.
📝 Note
SQL application-aware backup is currently not supported with VMC.
Architecture
Druva architecture is fundamentally designed to support VMC with AWS PrivateLink. The following diagram illustrates the architecture:
As illustrated in the diagram:
To back up and restore virtual machines hosted on your VMware Cloud setup, you have to deploy the Druva backup proxy. The Druva backup proxy is the client-side component that detects the virtual machines running on your setup and executes the backup and restore requests from the Druva Cloud.
VMC does not support the NBD mode of transport for data transfer (backup over production LAN) and instead uses the hot add transport mode for backups.
Data is processed at the backup proxy end for deduplication and the deduplicated data is then sent over to the Druva Cloud.
By default, data flows over the public network (restricted to the AWS environment) to the Druva Cloud. However, if you configure the VMC with AWS PrivateLink, the data flows over a secure network to the Druva Cloud.
❗ Important
The AWS PrivateLink integration with VMC feature is a part of the Limited Availability Program. To know more about the Limited Availability program and sign up for the features, contact Support.
A PrivateLink connection increases the data transfer efficiency as the data is transferred over the AWS backbone network as opposed to the public internet.
A PrivateLink connection also helps you minimize the data egress charges you pay while backing up the virtual machine in a VMC.
To configure your VMC with AWS PrivateLink, contact Support.
Steps to configure VMware on Public Cloud with Druva
Ensure VMware Cloud (VMC) SDDC firewall rules are configured to enable http/https traffic over port 443 and NTP port 123 for the communication through Compute and Management Gateways.
The backup proxy communicates with Druva on port 443. The communication is outbound only and you need to create an inbound traffic rule. The backup proxy also communicates with the vCenter on port 443 to understand the VMware hierarchy and communicates with the virtual machines to perform backups and restores. For more information, see Prerequisites to install the backup proxy. The backup proxy also uses port 123 outbound connection to synchronize time with NTP server.Deploy the backup proxy and Register your VMware setup with Druva. For more information, see Deploy the first backup proxy and register the VMware setup.
Log on to the backup proxy as a cloud admin user ( cloudadmin@vmc.local ) with all the privileges.
Configure your virtual machines for backup. Configure Virtual Machines for Backup.